Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, has denied claims by his half-sister Samantha Markle that he was stranded and immobile in the Philippines following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu Province.
Thomas, who relocated to Cebu earlier this year, said that he is safe inside his hotel and never in danger.
“I’m safe in my hotel room, and in no way am I ‘trapped’ and ‘unable to walk,’” he said.
“The epicenter was 100 miles from here. I’m currently sitting on the couch in my hotel room, with my feet kicked up and watching Charlie Chan movies. I’m quite comfortable.”
The statement follows Samantha’s post on X claiming her 80-year-old father was “stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake and can’t walk.”
Thomas said he has not spoken to Samantha and is unsure why she made such claims, adding that his estrangement from Meghan Markle remains unchanged.
Samantha, Thomas’ daughter from his first marriage, also targeted Meghan in her posts, blaming her for their father’s alleged predicament.
She later set her X account to private after netizens pointed out discrepancies in the timeline of her posts, which referenced conversations from Sept. 28 while the earthquake occurred on Sept. 30.
Thomas, a retired TV lighting director, has faced several health challenges in recent years, including a major stroke in May 2022. He moved to Cebu this year with his 58-year-old son, Thomas Jr.
The earthquake struck off the coast of Bogo, Cebu on Tuesday night.
